


face it like a hero

by ceilingstaring



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Depressed Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, adrien and marinette r friends, au where ladybug works alone, villain!chat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceilingstaring/pseuds/ceilingstaring
Summary: Dealing with Hawkmoth had been difficult enough. Marinette had been coming home exhausted most days. She dreaded morning and the fights that usually accompanied it. She couldn’t help but feel it would be easier if she had someone else to carry the burden of Paris’ safety. Tikki helped, but the stress was wearing on her. Even before Chat Noir showed up.





	face it like a hero

Dealing with Hawkmoth had been difficult enough. Marinette had been coming home exhausted most days. She dreaded morning and the fights that usually accompanied it. She couldn’t help but feel it would be  _ easier _ if she had someone else to carry the burden of Paris’ safety. Tikki helped, but the stress was wearing on her. Even before Chat Noir showed up.   
  
The week of Marinette’s seventeenth birthday, she had been watching the news with her mother late at night. She observed as reporters praised Ladybug for her service to the city, but she didn’t feel like she deserved it. She’d nearly lost today.  _ Again. _ She felt like she was getting nowhere in defeating Hawkmoth. Marinette was just postponing the day he won.

 

Suddenly, the graphics on the television changed. The screen featured a video from the Ladyblog and read “ _ Breaking News! _ ” She watched as a masked akuma destroyed a building with just a touch. She sucked in a sharp breath. She’d  _ never  _ seen an akuma have that much power. She stood up immediately, her heart beating fast in her chest.

 

“I should- should go check on Alya,  _ maman _ . That’s only a few blocks away.”

 

Sabine frowned. “Mari, it’s late. I know you want to help your friend, but…”

 

“I’ll be safe,” she promised, running to the door before her mom could respond. She’d been getting in a lot of trouble with her parents recently. They were concerned for her safety, as they should have been. Marinette felt guilty, but she’d feel worse if she did nothing. She was chosen for a reason and she had to remember that. 

 

Once in the hallway, she whispered, “Tikki. Transforme moi.” 

 

Ladybug emerged from the Dupain-Cheng bakery, yo-yoing down the street. Nothing else seemed to have been touched, which came as a relief. She spotted the young man from the video hopping from rooftop to rooftop, running as fast as he could. Praying he wouldn’t  _ destroy _ it, Ladybug aimed her yo-yo towards his body. Once it had wrapped around his body, she caught up to him, breathless.

 

He spun around, a look of panic on his features before it morphed into a smirk. From what she could see, behind his black mask, he looked to be young. The kitty ears in his hair would have been comical if not for the immediate danger. The leathery tail attached to his suit appeared to move by itself, swaying at his side.

 

“Well, I had somewhere to be, but it looks like I’m a little tied up now. Pleasure meeting you, Ladybug. It’s been a long time coming.”

 

When someone was akumatized, you could tell. While still able to communicate, they were almost always cold and distant. Something felt different. “And who might you be?” He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She took a few steps closer, hesitant. He was powerful and she didn’t want to  _ know _ what would happen if he touched her miraculous.

 

“You don’t have to be so timid, bugaboo. I wouldn’t lay a finger on you. At least not in public.” His smirk grew and Ladybug made a face.

 

“Let me guess, you’ve been akumatized because… you got stood up? It’s about that time of night.” She eyed him, curious where the akuma was hiding. 

 

“I can’t say that I wasn’t worried you wouldn’t show up, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for awhile. But no, I wasn’t stood up. In fact, I’m not even an akuma.” He spoke so casually, like he hadn’t just delivered the worst news Marinette could imagine receiving. 

 

_ “What?” _

 

“There’s more than two Miraculouses, Ladybug. Hasn’t your kwami told you yet?” He casually slipped out of the restraints like it was easy, sauntering across the rooftop. “Speaking of which, I should get going. I’m close to transforming back. You know how it is.”

 

Ladybug stared, dumbfounded. He wasn’t lying, akumas weren’t that  _ good. _ No akuma also meant no fixing what had happened. There had to have been people in that building. They were probably  _ dead. _ She wanted to cry.

 

“Aw, don’t look so sad, Ladybird. You’ll see me again.” He came closer, tilting her chin up and smiling almost… warmly. “Chat Noir, by the way. Rude of me not to introduce myself.”

 

Turning on his heel, he leapt across the rooftop. Snapping out of it, Ladybug followed and tried to catch him, but it was  _ dark. _ She wasn’t used to fighting at night and this was the second time today. He got away easily. She didn’t stick around long after that, not wanting to be questioned by anyone.

 

…

 

The next day at school, nobody talked about anything but how Ladybug had actually  _ lost _ to an akuma. Marinette heard rumors that there had been children in that building. She began to regret showing up to class in the first place. 

 

During lunch, she left campus, choosing to eat at the park near her school. Marinette had long lost her appetite, instead sitting on a bench and staring off into space. Today, she didn’t want to deal with anything. If there was an akuma attack that day, she would have most definitely lost.

 

“They’re all liars, you know.”

 

She looked up and had to smile a little, wiping a tear from her cheek. Adrien had become one of her closest friends recently and one of the few things that kept her from going crazy. It was to the point, then, that she’d considered telling him about her identity. He was quiet and had few friends, which confused Marinette. He was famous, he could take his pick. She didn’t understand why he settled for her. “What do you mean?”

 

“It was an empty building. No one was inside, I saw it on the news before school started.” He sat beside her, a warm smile on his face. “I know disasters like this get to you, but really… Everything’s fine.”

 

She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in. That was why she loved Adrien. He was so  _ thoughtful. _ “Thank you.” Another tear fell and she wiped it away again. “I’m just… stressed. Yesterday’s stuff didn’t help much.”

 

Marinette caught a look of guilt cross over Adrien’s features, but it was quickly replaced with sympathy. “Yeah… I’m pretty stressed out too,” he admitted, leaning on her. “I think things will get better, though.”

 

“I don’t think they will for me.” Her voice was soft and quiet, leaning back into Adrien’s side. They were strictly platonic, something she couldn’t even pretend to be happy about. She  _ loved  _ Adrien and had for years. Not that she’d ever tell him that.

 

Adrien frowned down at her. “Maybe they’ll… get worse before they get better, you know?”

 

“If I don’t  _ die  _ before then,” she said miserably.

 

Adrien laughed. “Shut up, if you die I’m screwed. Do you see anyone else around here worth talking to?”

 

Marinette smiled. “Suck up.”

 

He shrugged, as if to say,  _ “No argument here.” _ The two of them stayed like that for the most part, both looking at their phones while enjoying one another’s company. Marinette sighed gently, trying to let herself relax. No one had gotten hurt. Next time she saw Chat, she’d be less shaken up and she’d be able to  _ fight. _

 

“Thanks for being here,” she said eventually, sitting up. “We should get back to class soon, though.”

 

Adrien nodded. “Yeah. My dad will kill me if I’m absent again.”

 

Marinette stood up, clutching her books to her chest. “Do you want to do something after school maybe?”

 

Adrien’s shoulders fell and shook his head. “I don’t… think I’d be allowed. I’ll be eighteen soon, though.” He smiled. “We’ll do stuff all the time then.”

 

Marinette shook her head. “Don’t sweat it. We’ll Skype?”

 

Adrien hesitated. “Yeah, sounds good. I have a few things to do tonight, so I’m not sure if I can for very long.”

 

Marinette smiled, starting back towards the school with Adrien. “Okay!” She was a little too excited to appear normal, but Adrien seemed to find it endearing, laughing. 

 

“See you then, I guess? I need to hurry back to see Nino before class starts.”

 

“See you then,” she agreed, smiling as he walked ahead of her. She took her time getting to class, feeling her cheeks flush. Marinette had it  _ bad. _

 

…

 

“Talk to you later, Mari!”

 

“Bye Adrien!”

 

Marinette laid back on her bed and sighed happily. Talking to Adrien sometimes made her feel light-headed, in the best way possible. She could feel her heart beat quickly in her chest and her mattress dip when she rolled onto her stomach and giggled. As stressed as she was, she was still Marinette. She got flustered easily and her emotions were rarely mild. 

 

Finally looking back at her phone, she admired her lock screen; a photograph of Nino, Alya, Adrien, and herself. It had been taken one of the few nights Adrien had been allowed out of the house. She smiled down at it and unlocked her phone. 

 

Marinette was relieved to have no notifications that the Ladyblog had posted, but had at least twenty unread messages from Alya. As she was about to reply, she received another text.

 

_ Alya ;P: GIRL where R U?? _

 

_ Marinette: In my bedroom having a happy attack over Adrien why _

 

_ Marinette: I want his babies _

 

_ Alya ;P: i love you but ew _

 

_ Marinette: It's true love <3  _

 

_ Alya ;P: does he know that yet? _

 

_ Marinette: I'm working on it. _

 

_ Alya ;P: I refuse to help someone who doesn't want to be helped.  _

 

_ Marinette: Rude. _

 

Marinette set her phone down and yawned. Her and Adrien had talked longer than she'd expected to and she hadn't slept well the night before. It had been hard to when she'd thought people had  _ died _ . Now, though…

 

_ Marinette: I’m going to bed. Ttyl <33 _

 

_ Alya ;P: Sleep well you lovesick little shit.  _

 

Marinette shut her eyes, falling into an easy sleep. She was exhausted, it wasn't  _ hard.  _ Sleeping long proved to be a challenge, though, because when she awoke, the room was still dark. Marinette rarely woke up before she had to, always spent from the day before. Turning on her bedside lamp, her eyes widened. Chat was in her  _ room.  _ He had just shut the hatch to the roof, hopping to the ground. He looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

“Wh-wh-what th-the h-he-” she stuttered. She couldn't do anything without her Miraculous, but she couldn't transform in front of him either. She was frozen in place.

 

“Don't freak out.” He pleaded. “I just… want to talk to you.”

 

Marinette blinked. Why would this  _ Chat Noir _ guy want to talk to Marinette? Unless he knew who she was. Her heart nearly stopped. “Why?” she demanded, her voice a bit shaky and uneven.

 

It took a moment for him to respond. “You’re… a friend of Alya’s, right? The Ladyblogger?”

 

She frowned. “Yeah… and?” Chat didn’t  _ seem _ to know who he was talking to, but that meant nothing.

 

He shrugged, sitting on her desk and looking at her. “It’s important that the press gets the right story. Especially since my lady ran off so quickly.” He smirked.

 

“Your lady?” she questioned, rubbing her eyes. She’d fallen asleep in her outfit from the day before and the discomfort was getting to her, but she was grateful nonetheless. It’d have been embarrassing otherwise.

 

“Ladybug.” He smiled when he spoke her name.

 

Marinette made a face. She couldn’t really argue without exposing herself as Ladybug. She instead raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are you two involved? I would think Ladybug would have more pride than that.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Well, it’s true.” Marinette shrugged. “Unless you have an explanation for what you did?”

 

Chat paused, frowning down at the flooring beneath him. “It’s… not entirely in my control what I do. That’s all I’ll say. I  _ knew _ there was no one inside that building, though. Make sure to tell Alya  _ that,”  _ he said spitefully. Marinette frowned.

 

She didn’t consider herself a pushover. She was strong, physically and mentally. It wasn’t easy to sway her once she had her mind set on something. Still, when something in Chat’s voice made her walls crumble, just a bit. “Not in your control?”

 

Chat shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t say much else.”

 

“If you’re not going to tell me anything, why are you here?” She yawned and got out of bed. 

 

“Bored?” Chat offered, kicking his legs.

 

Marinette eyed him. “Yeah, well, if you’re trying to make a good name for yourself, I’m not sure sneaking into teen girls’ bedrooms at night is the best plan.”

 

“Who said I’m trying to make a good name for myself?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m just telling you the facts. How you feel about anything I say, morally, is up to you.”

 

Marinette might have kicked him out by now if he she wasn’t so invested in learning about Chat Noir. She had an obligation as Ladybug to take care of him before he became a problem. Understanding the situation was essential if she was going to fix it. “...Alright,” she said eventually, frowning. “What do you even get out of this?”

 

Chat seemed hesitant to say anything.

 

“You’re… not here because of Alya, are you? If you wanted to be reported on, you wouldn’t be giving me such vague answers.”

 

Chat sighed, giving Marinette a look she couldn’t read. He looked almost… sad. “I… I needed to talk to you specifically. I’m not going to tell you why, so don’t bother asking.”

 

She tensed up. “What do you know?” Marinette demanded. When he gave her a confused look, she took a step closer to the desk. “ _ What do you know?” _ she repeated.

 

Chat’s eyes widened a little, like he’d not expected her to react like that. Like he  _ didn’t _ know she was Ladybug. “Nothing! I honestly don’t know much. Definitely not whatever you seem to think I know.”

 

She bit her lip. “You should leave. I need to think.” 

 

Again, he looked  _ sad. _ She didn’t understand; it’s not like he knew her. He had no reason to care about Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but there he was, looking close to tears. She sighed.

 

“You can come back. In the  _ daytime. _ ” 

 

That made him smile a bit as he stood up. “Sounds like a date, princess.” 

 

“Well, it’s not.”

 

“I’m sure Ladybug wouldn’t be jealous, don’t worry.” He purred.

 

Marinette made a face at him. “Oh, I’m positive she wouldn’t be jealous. I just don’t want to date Paris’ most wanted criminal.”

 

“I’ll sway you,” Chat assured her, a smirk on his face as he crawled up the ladder to the roof. “See you tomorrow!”

 

“Hey, I didn’t say-” she was cut off by the hatch slamming shut. She sighed.

 

What the hell was she doing?

**Author's Note:**

> anyone remember tobey from wordgirl on pbs? yeah... i wish i could say this wasn't based on that. sorry for any typos, i've got pretty bad dyslexia.


End file.
